Domestic washing appliance



Sept 8, 1925.

J. W. BOWERBANK nomns'nc WASHING APPLIANCE Filed April 5, 1924 Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES JOHN WAINWRIGH'I' BOWERBANK, OF KIDDERMINSTER, ENGLAND.

nonnsrrc WASHING APPLIANCE.

Application filed April 5, 1924. Serial No. 704,538.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN l/VAINWRIGHT Bownnniinii, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Kidderminster, in the county of Worcester, in the Kingdom of England, have invented new and useful Improvements Relating to Domestic Washing Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in domestic washing appliances and aims to provide a device whereby the washing of clothes in a boiler may be greatly facilitated by the violent and continuous circulation of water in said boiler, without necesarising perpendicularly therefrom, comprising in combination a base plate of substantially double conical form, means for securing same adjacent the bottom of the boiler with its apex downwards, perforations around the rim of said plate, an aperture at said apex spaced from said boiler bottom, a central tube arising perpendicularly from said apex within said boiler, a plurality of orifices in said tube remote from said plate,

means for retaining'the clothes spaced beneath said orifices, and means permitting water to circulate between the clothes and plate.

The invention is more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of the device applied to an ordinary copper or boiler; and Fig. 2 is part plan corresponding to Fig. 1, the wire frame 9 being re moved for the sake of clearness.

The circular base plate 1 is of double conical form as shown, that is to say, the center portion is conical in shape with its apeX downwards, whilst the rim portion presents the form of a frustrum of a hollow cone/the apex of which is directed upwards. The tube portion 2 being inserted in an orifice at the center of the plate 1 which is raised from the bottom of the boiler, in this case slightly rounded. The plate 1 preferably fits the sides of the boiler, and is furnished adjacent its periphery with a number of small perforations 13, allowing the water to pass beneath the plate from all sides.

The central tube may be formed in a single piece, but preferably it is constituted by two interfitting portions 2, 3 having a helical screw connection of steep pitch whereby the length of the tube may be quickly adjusted as desired. Near the closed upper end of tube portion 3 are symmetrically arranged a number of small radial outlet tubes 4 inclined downwardly and constituting a spray device, the function of which is to direct jets of water upon the clothes which are disposed around the central tube.

A wire frame 9 integral with a sleeve 14 slidable on a tube 15 on the upper portion of tube 3 rests upon the upper surface of the clothes and maintains same a correct distance beneath the outlet tubes 4. The upper edge of the sleeve 14 is inclined and coopcrates with a similarly inclined lower edge of enlarged portion 16 of tube 15 (which also forms the body portion of the spray device) to give a cam-like action whereby the height of the frame 9 may be adjusted as desired merely by rotating same.

The screw thread may be formed upon tube portion 2 by winding a wire 25 helically thereon and brazing or soldering same in position. The upper tube portion 8 can then be swaged to form a helical groove therein corresponding to the wire, the construction giving economy in manufacture and being effective in use. 1

The clothes are raised from the base plate 1 and water circulation greatly improved by means of a perforated disk 5 fitting loosely over the tube portion 2 and resting upon the upper rim of the base 1. Where the disk 5 makes contact with said rim it is provided with a number of radiating flutes 6, which each extend from a perforation 7 to adjacent the periphery of said disk, which latter is scalloped in the manner shown and provided with a reinforcing wire edging 8. This construction enables the device to operate in the following manner. WVhen the boiler is heat ed, the water below the plate 1 quickly becomes hot, rises in the central tube and issues from tubes 4 in jets impinging upon the clothes, which are maintained at the desired level below said jets by means of the frame 9. WVater flows through perforations 13 to re plenish the space beneath the plate 1 and this sets up a circulation of water from the clothes, through the perforation 7 to below disk 5, and outwardly through flutes 6 to perforations 13. ater also flows around the scalloped edge of disk 5., which serves to keep the clothesclear of perforations 13 and thus a continual and violent circulation of the water is maintained at a steady rate throughout the-whole boiler-owing'to thewhich is preferably slightly above the. level of the perforations 13, though fairly close to the: bottom of the boiler,

The device can be readily fitted to existing coppers, and in Fig. 1 is shown a convenient method of mounting same. A cross bar 17 spanning the copper is secured by a nut 19 upon screw pin 18 on the closed upper end of tube 3. The ends of the bar are slotted. and engage set-bolts l9 screwed into the rim 20 of the copper, and clips. 21 pivoted on said bolts retain thebar in position. The extensible tube 2, 3 enables the device to be adjusted to different sizes of boiler or quantities of clothes.

I claim 1. A device for use with domestic wash ing appliances comprising in combination a base plate of substantially double conical form perforated around the rim and apertured at the apex, means for securing same adjacent the bottom of the boiler with its apex downwards and, spaced from said boiler bottom, a central tube arising perpendicularly from said apex within said boiler, and carrying a spray device at its upper end, means for retaining t-he clothes spaced beneath said spray device, and meansto permit. the circulation of water between said clothes and plate,

2. A device for use with domestic wash. ing appliances comprising in combination a.

base plate of substantially double conical form perforated aroundthe rimand apertured at. the apex, meansfor securing same adjacent the bottom of the boiler with its apex downwards and spaced from said boiler bottom, a central tube arising per-. pendicularly from, said apex. within said boiler, a plurality of outlet tubes inx-said. central tube remote from said plate, means.

3. A device for use with domestic washing appliances comprisin in combination a base plate of substantially double conical form perforated around the rim and apertured at the apex, means for'securing same adjacent the bottom ofthe boiler with its apex downwards and spaced from said boiler bottom, a central tube arising perpendicularly from said apex within said boiler,

a plurtlity of outlet tubes in said central tube remote from said plate, a frame slidable on said central tube retaining the clothes spaced beneath said outlet tubes means for adjusting the upward limit of movement of said frame, and a perforated and radially fluted disk superposed upon.

length thereof, a plurality of outlet tubes in said central tube remote from said plate, a frame slidably on said central tube retaining the clothes spaced beneath said outlet tube, means for adjustably limiting movementof saidframe, and a perforated and radially fluted disk superposed upon said base plate and spacing the clothes therefrom.

5..In a domestic boiler, a device comprising in combination a base plate of substantially double conical: form perforated at; the

rim and .apertured at. the. apex. said apex being directed downwards and spaced from said boiler bottom, a. central tube arising perpendicularly from said apex within said boiler, said tube comprising twointerfitting;

tubular portions, screw-threaded along the whole length thereof, a cross-bar secured at the center to said} tube and spanning the boiler, a pair of clips on said boiler releas-.. ably retainingtheends of said bar, a plu.-

rality of outlet tubes in said. central tube remote from saidplate, a frame. slidable on said central tuberetaining the clothes spaced beneath said outlet tubes, means for adjustably limiting movement of said frame, and.

a perforated and radially fluted disksuperposed upon said base plate andspacing the.

clothes therefrom.

JOHN vWAINWRIGHT BOWERBANK. 

